The Xihai Conference held on the edge of Xihai City in the Western Regions obviously cannot be said to be small in scale.
Countries in the Western Regions, large and small, all sent envoys to attend the meeting.
The conference was originally supposed to be held in the autumn, but this was decided by Lu Bu. In addition, the organizational and coordination skills of his subordinates were not very strong. Therefore, from sending cavalry to inform everyone, to the sparse arrival of the Western Region countries.
, it will inevitably prolong the overall time.
However, fortunately, there was an old camp for city construction here in Xihai, so it was not a big problem to temporarily plan it as a residence. At the same time, most of these envoys coming from all over the Western Regions would bring some cattle, sheep, and other livestock.
So the food was okay, but the weather was cold and more coal was consumed.
As Feiqian deepened his development of the Western Regions, the demand for a large amount of minerals brought about the economic development of the Western Regions.
There are mines in the Western Region.
What a mine.
Moreover, most of the minerals in the Western Regions have never been mined before, so most of them are surface minerals that are relatively easy to mine. There is no need to dig deep underground. At the same time, the primary use of coal and oil has made the Western Regions
It has also been greatly relieved in terms of heating, reducing damage to native and fragile plants.
The merchants who came and went took away ore and brought more food and daily necessities.
The howling cold wind and flying heavy snow can only temporarily suppress the desire of merchants to make money. Then when the snow melts, large numbers of caravans will gather from all over the Western Regions to the West Sea, and then from the West Sea to Yumen Pass.
Entering the mainland of the Han Dynasty.
For these people from the Western Regions, they are more willing to surrender to the Han, not only because of the force Lu Bu showed before, but more importantly because the Han can bring them more opportunities to make money and improve their lives than the previous Kushan.
It can become better. As for whether the emperor of Kushan is more prestigious or the emperor of Han is more powerful, in fact, the people of the Western Regions don't really care.
The Western Region is chaotic, but also tolerant because of the chaos.
There are defeated people from various countries here, as well as various criminals who have committed crimes and fled here. It is difficult to survive in this area without force, but relying solely on force will also lead to death very quickly.
No one knows whether the kind-hearted guy at the moment had a human life in his hands before, and it is also unclear whether a small wandering tribe has a prince from the desert back then.
Arrogance and arrogance will lead to disaster, not only in the Western Regions, but also in many places.
But many people don't know this.
"If heaven does not give birth to Zhongni, eternity will be like a long night." Confucian people say this.
"If heaven had not given birth to me, eternity would be like a long night." This is what the disciples of Lao and Zhuang said.
"If the Tathagata were not born in the sky, eternity would be like a long night." This is what Buddhist disciples say.
Well, for ordinary people, it’s basically just a “long night” anyway.
Since it is a long night, naturally we need bright lights.
"Loyalty and filial piety finally establish the body." Confucianism believes that loyalty and filial piety are the beacon.
"Natural, quiet and inactive." Lao Zhuang believed that heaven and earth have their own lights.
When a Buddhist comes, he points his finger to the sky and the other to the earth, saying, "I am a bright light! I will save all sentient beings in the world!"
Just like the eminent monk Gaba who came from Anxi, his beard and eyebrows are all white, and he still came to the West Sea Assembly with the ambition to save all sentient beings and spread the Dharma.
The eminent monk Gaba is proficient in Buddhism. He is an orphan. He grew up with monks and devoted his life to the Buddha. This time he came to the Western Regions because he heard that there was a "big devil" in the Western Regions, whose hands were full of blood and he killed people without calculation.
So the eminent monk Gabha came.
Then I met the "Great Demon King", Lu Bu.
The eminent monk Jiaba prepared to persuade Lu Bu to put down his butcher knife and become a Buddha immediately.
Because this is the supreme merit for eminent monk Jiaba, and eminent monk Jiaba believes that this is something that benefits the common people.
The eminent monk Jiaba has seen the suffering of many ordinary people, and knows that despite the prosperity of the Western Region, there are still a large number of ordinary people who are oppressed. Therefore, for the eminent monk Jiaba, killing less means accumulating more virtue.
This is actually not wrong.
Because for most ordinary people, from ancient times to later generations, they basically belong to the exploited class. The "long night" is long. Even if you occasionally hang some guys on the street lamps, they are just street lamps. In the street lamps In places where the light cannot shine, there are still some ghosts moving in the dark.
But the eminent monk Jabha forgot one thing, that is, everything actually has two sides. Wherever you sit with your butt, the scenery you see may look like. If your butt is crooked, the scenery will change.
When Buddhism spread to the Western Regions, it was very popular among the people in the Western Regions.
This can be proven by the large-scale grottoes or Buddhist statues and murals of later generations.
And when Buddhism first spread, those devout monks could indeed do some extraordinary things, such as walking thousands of miles to obtain Buddhist scriptures. People who have strong beliefs and practice them will always Got people's respect.
Under this influence, Lu Bu also became somewhat interested in Buddhism...
Well, at first I was just a little interested.
If Zheng Xuan stands out in the Qinglong Temple in Chang'an, then in Xihai City in the Western Regions, it has basically become a Buddhist Purdue Assembly.
Buddhism, like most religions, is quite confusing. Self-justifying religious concepts can explain many natural phenomena that were incomprehensible at the time. The theory of persuading people to do good will also help stabilize society and increase the tolerance of the people. Expansion and improvement. Just like expanding the capacity of a small-capacity mobile phone, the unsightly and sad photos previously stored in the hard disk were formatted and replaced with a larger and more capable memory space.
People of later generations can naturally look at history and see clearly the context of Buddhism, or the context of most religions, through the filter of technology. But for people in the Han Dynasty today, they want to know the history of Buddhism. The ins and outs and a clear understanding of Buddhism are basically impossible.
No religion is independent of economics and politics.
Although religion often pays attention to spiritual things, no matter how spiritual a person is, he still needs to eat. Eating naturally requires material things, and economic and political considerations must be taken into consideration.
This is true of Buddhism. It is also true of other religions.
Why did Buddhism arise in ancient India?
It's not that Buddhism really has such a "Buddha" inspiration, but because Ashoka himself is of Shudra descent, that's why he became a warrior, instead of performing prayers like most Brahmins.
Priest. Therefore, Ashoka was naturally disgusted with Brahmanism. He naturally needed an idea that was opposite to Brahmanism, so he naturally chose Buddhism, which expressed the equality of everyone.
Ashoka resisted Brahmanism and unified India for the first time with iron blood. Then he popularized Buddhism in India in a very strong way, making Buddhism dominant in ancient India for a while. From this perspective, it is not the self-development of Buddhism.
How powerful, but the political demand is such.
Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty vigorously promoted Buddhism, mostly due to political considerations.
Because Liu Xiu died, a generation of brothers and sisters, followed by a generation of powerful men who conquered the world, and many relatives of the emperor were still alive, so the second generation of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty had to deal with these guys in order to stabilize his position. In such a situation
Under the political circumstances, Buddhism was introduced.
Another example is Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty. He was five-eighths of Xianbei blood. Of course, the so-called pure blood theory itself is a huge fallacy, but it does not prevent many Confucian scholars from secretly poking at Li Shimin in dark corners.
backbone, and then deliberately devalued his identity. Therefore, the Tang Dynasty founded by Li Shimin also respected Buddhism.
In many times of social turmoil, religion is not necessarily Buddhism. There are also other sects, such as the White Lotus Sect, which will also become greatly popular. It is not that these religions must have a certain amount of divinity, but that these religions can
Let the suffering people get some superficial comfort in their souls.
Disciples of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, these people always spare no effort when proclaiming the Buddha, God, and Saint of their own sect, and they are also very aggressive when defending their religion. It is not that these people really believe in their own religion.
, but because these matters involve its own interests.
That's right, whether it is Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or any other religion, all require "consecration". Looking at all the religious sects that have appeared in history, there is only one religion that does not require the payment of offerings or fees.
. This offering does not simply refer to statues of gods or something like that. It may be "five measures of rice", it may be "tithe", it may be "zakah" or something like that.
Lu Bu met Gaba.
At first Lu Bu didn't take it seriously.
As soon as the eminent monk Jiaba saw Lu Bu, his eyes shed tears.
Lu Bu was very surprised and asked.
The eminent monk Jiaba said that he saw a soul struggling in the sea of blood...
Lu Bu was stunned, then laughed and left.
But a few days later, Lu Bu came back, bowed before Jiaba, greeted him, and then brought an offering to the Buddha.
The eminent monk Jiaba disdained the gold and silver money and insisted on not accepting it, saying that Lu Bu could just distribute the money to ordinary people. This was also to resolve the karma of the wronged souls in the sea of blood on Lu Bu.
"The donor is indeed the one who deserves the calamity..." Jiaba clasped his hands and said, "That day in Dawan, the old monk suddenly saw a bloody aura rising straight into the sky on the mountain. All the creatures around him fell to the ground with extreme fear. In front of the Buddha statue
The bells and chimes kept ringing for three days..."
Jiaba looked at Lu Bu calmly, "When the general came, the Buddhist bell brought by the old monk rang on its own again. Only then did the old monk understand that the bloody energy was coming from the donor...
』
The other two monks beside Jiaba also spoke, proving that what Jiaba said was true. They all heard the bells ringing. No one rang the bells, but the bells rang...
In fact, this technique still exists in later generations. It does not necessarily exist in Buddhism. For example, when a certain black man said that he was the prince of a certain tribe, his wingmen immediately knelt down on the ground and cooperated with the act respectfully, because the wingman
You know, if you cooperate, you will have his share, whether it is money or women.
Lu Bu had never seen such a trick before, so he believed it.
It's like people of later generations particularly believed in the Zhuan family during a certain period of time.
That's what the Zhuan family, uh, eminent monk said. How can it be false?
The expression on Lu Bu's face didn't change much, but he couldn't help but hold his hand in one place, and the veins on the back of his hand showed.
Jiaba smiled, his gray eyebrows trembling slightly, "The old monk is now in frail health, and is about to take refuge under the Lord Buddha. Although I can't say that he can see everything in this world clearly, at least he can take it lightly. However, there are still things in this world.
There are many people who cannot take it lightly, such as the general.』
"General, the Buddha was merciful and saw King Asoka struggling in the sea of blood, so he gave some guidance. King Ashoka suddenly attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and became the Great Peacock King, receiving eternal worship and eternal reincarnation..." Gaba's kind-browed brows and kind eyes said, "General,
You also have the ghosts of the blood sea in your body. These ghosts are the general's karma and will affect the general. The general is often unable to calm down, cannot sleep well, is easily fatigued, sometimes has headaches, and has pain in his arms, legs and feet... That is not a disease, general.
It's the ghost in the sea of blood gnawing at the general's body..."
Lu Bu looked at his hands subconsciously, and then moved his waist.
In the past few years, as Lu Bu got older, he gradually felt some inexplicable muscle pain, fatigue, light sleep and insomnia, memory loss, dizziness and headache, depression, weight loss and sexual dysfunction...
Is this an injustice?
Lu Bu was somewhat frightened. After he felt unwell, he consulted a doctor, but most of the doctors just prescribed some warming prescriptions, saying that Lu Bu was suffering from deficiency of Qi and blood. As a result, Lu Bu's symptoms were not caused by eating.
There is no improvement after taking the decoction. It is really like an innocent ghost, haunting me endlessly.
These symptoms have a special name in later generations, "war syndrome."
Adrenaline is a hormone that is secreted in large amounts under extreme stimulation, especially on the battlefield. It can speed up breathing, accelerate heartbeat and blood flow, dilate pupils, provide more energy for physical activities, and make reactions faster.
Thereby protecting the human body from harm and avoiding risks. However, it will also bring about various side effects. These side effects often act directly on the nerves of the human body. Once the nerves are damaged, they cannot repair themselves like epidermal trauma.
Not only Lu Bu, but also many generals in history who were on the battlefield would have various problems after leaving the battlefield. Even Huo Qubing's inexplicable disease was probably "war syndrome".
Just like Lu Bu now, sometimes after getting up, he seems to feel that the extremely strong and slightly sweet smell of blood still remains in his mouth, and his breath is turbid and hot, as if something is burning in his body.
Lu Bu never mentioned this to anyone else.
So he couldn't help but be a little frightened.
Symptoms, everything seems to be the same as what the eminent monk said.
"Master, do you think I can become a Buddha?" Lu Bu asked.
"Everyone can become a Buddha." Gaba continued to speak unhurriedly, as if he was talking about the simple truth that there is day and night.
"Master, can you explain in more detail?" Lu Bu looked at Gaba, with a hint of longing in his eyes.
Gaba nodded, his beard and hair fluttering gently in the wind, and said: "Buddha is a human being, and humans can naturally become Buddhas."
Lu Bu said: "I thought the Buddha wanted a certain kind of person..."
Jiaba raised his head and looked at the extremely blue sky in the Western Region. His eyes seemed to reflect incomparable sincerity, "Buddha also lives under this sky, just like you and me."
Lu Bu also looked up at the sky. "If that's the case, where did the Buddha go in the end?"
"The Buddha went into the hearts of the world in order to light up the Buddha's heart in the hearts of the world." Jiaba said slowly, "Everyone in the world has karma, and if the karma is not eliminated, even if the Buddha's heart is not seen, he cannot become a Buddha."
.If the donor finds the Buddha's heart, he can become a Buddha..."
After leaving the Xicheng Conference, Lu Bu did not feel any enlightenment after listening to Gaba's words. On the contrary, he became even more confused. On the one hand, Gaba did indeed hit on some of Lu Bu's current physical conditions, such as joint pain and inexplicable headaches.
Wait, on the other hand, Lu Bu doesn't feel that he has any "Buddha's heart".
Lu Bu felt confused.
Lu Bu's solution to his confusion was to drink.
After drinking, my waist no longer hurts, my head no longer hurts, and the dark things in my heart no longer surface, and everything becomes better.
Coupled with the abundant peach wine produced in the Western Regions...
Lu Bu was often intoxicated and unwilling to wake up.
Envoys from various countries in the Western Regions have arrived at the West Sea Conference one after another. They met with the drunken Lu Bu on the edge of the West Sea, and then presented them with exquisite gold, silver, and jade articles. They were in awe and joy to see Lu Bu indulging in the wine country.
On one side are Buddhist monks preaching the Dharma, and on the other side are ordinary people talking about the world.
Everyone looked solemn when they heard the old monk Gaba talking about Buddhism. They also whistled wildly when they saw the fair-skinned bearded girl's skirt flying high.
On the one hand, he was talking earnestly about killing less animals and wanting equality for all living beings, while on the other hand, he was pressing the cattle and sheep to the ground, using a white knife in and a red knife out, and throwing large pieces of beef and mutton into the soup pot for cooking.
During the blessing ceremony presided over by Gaba and other eminent monks, countless believers knelt on the ground and the scene was extremely solemn and solemn. After the ceremony, there were also countless people holding meat and bones, and their beards and clothes were wet with the food.
The Han people actually controlled the Western Regions for a short time, but they left for a long time.
Whether they are Kushan or Han, they are like passers-by to these people from the Western Regions. Those who were born and grew up in the Western Regions are the masters of the Western Regions for hundreds of years. Although they have been ignored by the Kushans in these years, now
They were suppressed by the Han Dynasty, but they were more familiar with the Western Regions and knew this wasteland. If they really curled up and carried out guerrilla warfare, neither the Kushan nor the Han Dynasty would actually have any better way to deal with them.
The attitudes of these countries in the Western Regions have nothing to do with so-called loyalty.
They just care about strength.
They only care about profit.
The Xihai Conference has basically come to an end after the Jiaba Monk Dharma Conference. The missions from various countries have basically completed their missions, or sent people to leave in advance and go back to resume their duties, or arrived in Xihai City.
Purchase goods and take them back when you return.
Lu Bu left the eminent monk behind.
He felt that there were still many questions he wanted to ask.
But Lu Bu didn't know that there was a saying in later generations that it is better to seek the Buddha than to seek oneself...
